See how thoroughly Endless Easter Encouragement has redefined life and death for the Christians in Thessalonica! 

• They were concerned that those who had died would miss out, not on the things of this world and this life, but that they would miss out on Jesus’ glorious return at the end of the world.

• Death itself has been redefined as a sleep that we will wake from. 

• Death is no longer a permanent separation, but a temporary separation. And the best reunification is that we will all be with the Lord.

• Always, and especially when we mourn those who have preceded us in death, we encourage one another with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Notice that his personal savior name is used here in connection to his death and resurrection.*  

• All of the encouragement and anticipation of these words depends on Easter!

*(Interestingly enough, in all of 1 Thessalonians, the only three occurrences of the name Jesus without any other title such as Lord or Christ are in the immediate context of the death and resurrection—1:10 and the two occurrences here in 4:14. Every other time Paul uses the name Jesus in 1 Thessalonians it is accompanied by either Lord or Christ or both.)